夏のあらし！ Episode 07
(Summer Storm)
Natsu no Arashi! – 07

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Hajime and Arashi play baseball with Arashi using a hishaku (柄杓) as a bat. Unfortunately her hit is too good as it not only breaks the hishaku, but also knocks the rooster off the weather vane. They are examining the rooster when Jun and Kaja approach. Both Kaja and Arashi would like to see the weather vane fixed since it has been a part of Ark for so long, so Hajime is up on the roof and attempting to get a reluctant Jun to come up and “be a man.” Eventually Jun makes it up and both have a good look at the town below as well as the sea. It is here that Hajime loudly proclaims his affections for Arashi and tries to get Jun to shout something as well, but Jun refuses and Hajime ends up embarrassed that Arashi heard him.

After the weather vane is repaired, Kaja is horrified when Master and Hajime tease her about love of Tenchou. During the subsequent discussion, Hajime reveals that he has no fear of going back to World War II Japan, something Jun never wants to do again. Even Arashi tells Hajime that he shouldn’t want to go into danger like that. Kaja asks Arashi if she’s worried about changes to the time line by saving people in the past, which Arashi is not concerned about. However, when challenged about going back and saving her love, Kaja is put on the defensive.

Jun heads into town for some shopping and encounters her modeling friends Manami, Saki, and Youko. Jun explains why she’s in a male’s server outfit and why she’s working at Ark pretending to be a boy when Kaja approaches. Jun’s friends are impressed with the German girl’s grace and classic Japanese way about her. She even knows traditional dance and tea ceremonies which impress them more. A group of guys come up for a group date with the girls, but when one touches Kaja, she’s embarrassed and flees, followed by Jun.

At a nearby park, Kaja explains how she was raised to be chaste and proper and that contact with boys was strictly forbidden. She also apologizes for putting Jun into danger for her own selfish reasons — a love of a man who will die in an air raid. As she speaks, Jun reflects on her own hatred of women and becoming like her modeling friends. Kaja figures she shouldn’t go and see Tenchou again. Jun tells Kaja she’s a coward and that Kaja’s not afraid of changing the present but changing herself. Jun figures that the reason Kaja is still on Earth is because she has not confessed her love to Tenchou. Kaja cries and agrees.

Meanwhile Hajime and Arashi are purifying the ground outside of Ark with a hishaku and a bucket of water each. They laugh and have fun, causing small rainbows to appear as they slosh the water out and promise to show Jun and Kaja the rainbow when those two return.

Elsewhere, the detective is assigned to buy panties and bras for his client and he’s not too keen on it.

Thoughts/Review:

I have to say that Jun’s explanation of why she’s pretending to be a boy was not what I expected, nor was the fact that our little reverse trap is actually a model. I realize that Hajime thought Jun was a boy, but Jun could have corrected the record quite easily but instead, chose to allow Hajime’s misunderstanding to continue and lead the others to believe she is a boy. I’m guessing that’s part of Jun’s hatred of women and fear of becoming her modeling friends — shallow. It will be interesting to see how everyone behaves when they learn Jun is a girl, but I suspect that after some initial shock, no one will care.

Now that Kaja has agreed that the reason she’s still on Earth is because she never confessed to Tenchou AND Jun was the one to lead her to that conclusion, I wonder if the two of them will go back so that Kaja can make that confession. My gut feeling is that this will happen but obviously Kaja won’t go away, meaning there’s something more to her and Arashi being on Earth over 60-years after WWII.

I did like the conversation in Ark about the trips back to WWII Japan. Hajime has that “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!” mentality and Jun has the logical attitude about being in the middle of an air raid — this is something a sane person would not wish to experience. I can’t help but wonder if much of Hajime’s bravado is actually cover for his own fears and doubts. I guess we’ll find out his true feelings if we go back in time with Arashi and Hajime and bad things happen.

The tedious ending continues with Yayoi and Kanako.Doesn ‘t SHAFT ever get tired of the same worn out joke routine? Obviously the answer is no because they keep having the same guy beg for salt every episode, sometimes multiple times an episode. Does this guy even appear in the manga?

I was amused at the detective being forced to purchase female undergarments for his client. *lol* I was reminded a bit of a similar moment in Chobits, but at least here, the detective isn’t a complete weeny about the issue (even though he clearly doesn’t like doing it) and the sales girl is straight to the point in an amusing way.

I also got a laugh when Master confronted Hajime about the broken hishaku, since Arashi had written “Hajime-chan’s” on the handle. *lol*

So despite some minor issues, this is still a pretty good episode and a pretty good series.